everything is white and grey.

when i woke up this morning something was different. the light through my shutters was lighter than usual and i knew instantly it has snowed over night! it's the first time this winter that the snow managed to stay on the ground. so far it always melted immediately because the temperature was quite mild. so i got excited and went for a run around the lake. it kept snowing, my face was freezing, my cold feet were soaked from the puddles and it was hard to keep track but it felt so good! of course i couldn't resist taking pictures from the first and maybe last snow of this winter.

a stroll in the park, a parrot, a bed of tulips and a muffin...

...were the ingredients for another wonderful weekend in amsterdam.

knitting box.

finally i managed to get the right box for my knitting supplies. luckily i found a wooden box in a hardware store by accident which at first was much lighter than in the pictures above. to make it darker i varnished it and now it even matches some of my other furniture. the first picture shows part of a scarf i've made over the christmas holidays. my friend and me knitted a lot while watching glee and it's much more fun than knitting by yourself :)

the icing on the cake.

2011 felt like a very short year.. filled with great people, new experiences and of course a lot of joy. my personal highlight though was our trip to switzerland in the summer. we've been hiking a lot up on the mountains and - despite of my scepticism at first - it was the best outdoor activity i've ever experienced. we went hiking up to 7 hours a day but the effort and sometimes also struggle was all worth it. the paths and views we got to walk and see were breathtaking and the feeling at the end of the day incomparable. so if you ever struggle to decide for a destination for your summer holiday i strongly recommend going hiking. that might sound a bit boring at first but honestly, you won't regret it! i can't wait for the next time and until then i guess i'll have to keep reminiscing..

nye.

happy new year! :)

the 'i love you' shirt.

this was a christmas present for my other half M. (the quality of the pictures is not the best i have to admit). i saw this fabric in a fabric store months ago and even though it was a bit pricy i fell in love with it instantly. i've added corduroy arm patches and some navy fabric to the back side of the collar and cuffs. the 'labeling' was just for fun though! what i enjoyed most about making the shirt was attaching the buttons, not that they are any more special from the outlook than the ones you can buy in store but there is a little story to them. almost two years ago i bought a wooden sewing box at a fleamarket. there were all sorts of stuff in it, from needles to threat and buttons to old scissors. these items must be pretty old and i like to think that the box belonged to a lovely grandma sewing stuff for her grandchildren :) anyway, i found enough buttons in it to finish the shirt. there's even some leftover fabric which i might be able to use for making a skirt or something, yay! 

and it is true that giving presents can be so much more satisfying than getting presents. the surprise on his face was just too cute :)

flea market.

my friend took me to a flea market called 'gare du neuss' which was very different to the ones i usually go to. the location was great and the things people sold were so pretty to look at. most of that stuff was very old but also pricy of course. i didn't buy anything but it was still worth it. the flea market is on every weekend so if you're around or nearby, don't miss it!